PM Modi to begin Odisha tour from Puri, BJP focuses on third-round polls

Bhubaneswar, May 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled for a two-day visit to Odisha starting from May 19th, signaling the beginning of BJP's election campaign in the state for the third-round elections, with Puri as the focal point.

State BJP chief Manmohan Samal announced that Modi's itinerary includes a review meeting with party workers at the state BJP office in Bhubaneswar upon arrival at 7 pm. The following morning, Modi will pay a visit to Puri to seek blessings at the Jagannath Temple before commencing a roadshow in the town.

Subsequently, the Prime Minister will journey to Angul and later participate in an election rally in Cuttack, as added by Samal.

BJP MP candidate for Puri, Sambit Patra, shared that Modi's decision to hold a roadshow in Puri is driven by his affection for the town's residents. Patra mentioned that Modi will arrive in Puri around 7 am, offer prayers at the Jagannath Temple, and then embark on the roadshow.

The voting in Puri, Cuttack, and Angul, which fall under the Dhenkanal LS seat, is scheduled for May 25th. This marks Modi's third visit to Odisha within a span of two weeks. His recent engagements included a 2.5-km roadshow in Bhubaneswar on May 10th and three 'Vijay Sankalp Yatra' rallies in Kandhamal, Balangir, and Bargarh on May 11th.

Modi's earlier 'Vijay Sankalp Yatra' rallies in Berhampur and Nabarangpur on May 6th, where he set the narrative for government formation by announcing June 10th as the date for the swearing-in of a BJP CM in Bhubaneswar, reportedly energized the party cadre.